Lion of Hollywood: The Life and Legend of Louis B. Mayer
by Scott Eyman
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Description
"Lion of Hollywood is the biography of Louis B. Mayer, the chief of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer - MGM - the biggest and most successful film studio of Hollywood's Golden Age." "An immigrant from tsarist Russia, Mayer began in the film business as an exhibitor but soon migrated to where the action and the power were - Hollywood. Through sheer force of energy and foresight, he turned his own modest studio into MGM, where he became the most powerful man in Hollywood, bending the film business to his show more will. He made great films, including the fabulous MGM musicals, and he made great stars: Garbo, Gable, Garland, and dozens of others. Through the enormously successful Andy Hardy series, Mayer purveyed family values to America. At the same time, he used his influence to place a federal judge on the bench, pay off local officials, cover up his stars' indiscretions, and, on occasion, arrange marriages for gay stars. Mayer rose from his impoverished childhood to become at one time the highest-paid executive in America." "Lion of Hollywood is a three-dimensional biography of a figure often caricatured and vilified as the paragon of the studio system. Mayer could be arrogant and tyrannical, but under his leadership MGM made such unforgettable films as The Big Parade, Ninotchka, The Wizard of Oz, Meet Me in St. Louis, and An American in Paris."--Jacket. show lessTags
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Author Information
17+ Works 1,604 Members
Scott Eyman is the literary critic of the Palm Beach Post and has written for numerous publications including the New York Times, the Washington Post, and The Wall Street Journal. He is the author of numerous books including Lion of Hollywood: The Life of Louis B. Mayer, Print the Legend: The Life and Times of John Ford, Ernst Lubitsch: Laughter show more in Paradise, John Wayne: The Life and Legend, and Pieces of My Heart with Robert Wagner. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Awards and Honors
Awards
Common Knowledge
- People/Characters
- Louis B. Mayer
- Important places
- Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA; Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios, Beverly Hills, California, USA
- Dedication
- For Chuck Adams
- First words
- He was hungry, always hungry.
- Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)Of that, he would surly approve.
- Blurbers
- Curtis, James; Brownlow, Kevin; Jones, Malcolm; Sklar, Robert; Kael, Pauline
Classifications
- Genres
- Nonfiction, Biography & Memoir, General Nonfiction, History
- DDC/MDS
- 791.4302 — Arts & recreation Recreation, sports, and performing arts Public performances Motion pictures, radio, television, podcasting Motion pictures Standard subdivisions
- LCC
- PN1998.3 .M397 .E94 — Language and Literature Literature (General) Literature (General) Drama Motion pictures
- BISAC
Statistics
- Members
- 128
- Popularity
- 254,908
- Rating
- (4.18)
- Languages
- English, Spanish
- Media
- Paper, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 5
- ASINs
- 2
